1. Our purpose

Fixena is designed to help homeowners find, manage and build relationships with professionals they can feel confident inviting into their homes.

Our Professional Standards set out the behaviour and standards we expect from professionals using Fixena.

They are designed to support:

• homeowner safety;

• trust and transparency;

• professional conduct;

• accurate information;

• quality service;

• responsible use of homeowner information; and

• a positive long-term relationship between homeowners and professionals.

These standards apply to professionals using Fixena, whether they are responding to a single job or building an ongoing relationship with a homeowner through Fixena.

These Standards apply to anyone using Fixena as a professional, including:

• sole traders;

• self-employed professionals;

• companies;

• partnerships;

• contractors;

• specialist trades;

• home-service providers; and

• other businesses offering relevant home-related services.

Where a business has employees, subcontractors or other people carrying out work on its behalf, the professional using Fixena remains responsible for ensuring that those individuals meet the standards applicable to the work.

Professionals must provide accurate information about themselves and their business.

This includes, where applicable:

• name;

• business/trading name;

• services offered;

• experience;

• qualifications;

• registrations;

• licences;

• insurance;

• service area;

• availability;

• website and contact information; and

• other information requested by Fixena.

Professionals must not:

• impersonate another person or business;

• claim qualifications they do not hold;

• claim registrations they do not have;

• provide false insurance information;

• misrepresent their experience;

• use another business’s identity

• deliberately provide misleading information; or

• conceal information that is material to their ability to carry out the work safely and lawfully.

Information provided to Fixena should be kept up to date.

Professionals are responsible for ensuring that they have the qualifications, registrations, licences and permissions required for the services they offer.

Where a particular type of work requires specialist certification, registration or legal authorisation, the professional must hold the appropriate credentials before offering or carrying out that work.

Fixena may request evidence of relevant qualifications, registrations or certifications.

A professional must immediately tell Fixena if a qualification, registration or licence displayed on their profile:

• expires;

• is suspended;

• is revoked;

• is no longer applicable; or

• otherwise ceases to be valid.

Professionals should maintain appropriate insurance for the work they undertake.

Where relevant, Fixena may ask for evidence of:

• public liability insurance;

• professional indemnity insurance;

• employer’s liability insurance; or

• other appropriate cover.

The precise insurance requirements may differ depending on the type of work undertaken.

Professionals must provide accurate insurance information and must not claim to have insurance that they do not have.

Where Fixena verifies insurance information, the profile may display the relevant verification status.

A Fixena insurance verification does not guarantee that a particular claim will be covered by the insurer or that the policy remains valid beyond the verified period.

Professionals remain responsible for maintaining appropriate cover.

Professionals using Fixena must behave professionally and respectfully.

This includes:

• communicating politely;

• treating homeowners and their property with respect;

• arriving when agreed;

• providing reasonable notice if circumstances change;

• communicating delays;

• respecting reasonable homeowner requests;

• maintaining appropriate boundaries; and

• behaving in a way that reflects positively on their profession.

Fixena has zero tolerance for:

• threats;

• intimidation;

• harassment;

• abusive behaviour;

• discriminatory behaviour;

• sexual harassment;

• deliberate property damage;

• theft;

• violence; or

• other serious misconduct.

Serious misconduct may result in immediate suspension or removal from Fixena.

Professionals are often given access to a person’s private home.

That responsibility should be taken seriously.

Professionals must:

• take reasonable care of the property;

• use appropriate protection where necessary;

• keep work areas reasonably safe;

• respect belongings and personal spaces;

• avoid unnecessary damage;

• remove waste where agreed;

• secure the property appropriately when leaving; and

• notify the homeowner promptly if accidental damage occurs.

Professionals must not photograph, record or publish images of a homeowner’s property for marketing or other purposes without appropriate permission.

Information obtained through Fixena must only be used for legitimate purposes connected with the relevant service or relationship.

Professionals must not:

• sell homeowner information;

• pass homeowner information to unrelated third parties;

• use homeowner information for unsolicited marketing;

• publish homeowner information;

• share photographs of a property without permission;

• use information from the Home Passport for unrelated purposes; or

• retain personal information unnecessarily.

A professional may only access information made available to them through Fixena for legitimate purposes.

The fact that a professional has been connected with a homeowner does not give them unrestricted access to that homeowner’s Home Passport.

The Home Passport is a private record associated with a property.

Where a homeowner chooses to share information with a professional, the professional must treat that information responsibly.

Information may include:

• property details;

• photographs;

• documents;

• warranties;

• maintenance history;

• previous work;

• invoices;

• insurance information;

• equipment information; and

• other property-related records.

Professionals must not assume that access to one piece of information gives them permission to access or request unrelated information.

Where a professional contributes information to a homeowner’s Home Passport — for example, an invoice, certificate, warranty or record of work — they should ensure that the information provided is accurate.

Professionals should provide clear and honest information about pricing.

Where possible, quotes should make clear:

• the proposed work;

• materials where relevant;

• labour;

• additional charges;

• VAT where applicable;

• assumptions or exclusions;

• expected timescales; and

• circumstances that could cause the final price to change.

Professionals must not deliberately provide an unrealistically low quote simply to secure a job and then substantially increase the price without a reasonable explanation.

Where additional work becomes necessary, professionals should explain the reason and agree the additional work and cost with the homeowner before proceeding wherever reasonably possible.

Professionals should communicate clearly and promptly.

They should:

• respond to reasonable enquiries;

• confirm appointments;

• communicate delays;

• notify homeowners if they cannot attend;

• explain significant changes to scope or price; and

• keep homeowners informed about material issues.

Repeatedly accepting jobs and failing to communicate or attend may be considered a breach of these Standards.

Professionals are responsible for carrying out work with reasonable skill and care and in accordance with applicable legal and professional requirements.

Professionals should:

• use appropriate materials;

• follow relevant manufacturer instructions;

• comply with applicable building and safety requirements;

• use appropriate tools and equipment;

• identify issues that make proposed work unsafe or unsuitable; and

• recommend appropriate specialist assistance where necessary.

Professionals should not undertake work outside their competence simply to secure a job.

Professionals must take reasonable steps to ensure that work is carried out safely.

Where a professional identifies a potentially serious safety issue, they should inform the homeowner and take appropriate action.

Professionals must not deliberately bypass safety requirements or recommend unsafe work.

Where work involves regulated or specialist activities, professionals must hold the appropriate qualifications or registrations.

If a professional uses employees, subcontractors or other workers to carry out work arranged through Fixena, the professional remains responsible for ensuring that those individuals are appropriately qualified and suitable for the work.

Where required, the professional should inform the homeowner if someone other than the named professional will attend.

Subcontractors must also respect these Professional Standards while carrying out Fixena-related work.

Professionals must not attempt to manipulate Fixena’s review system.

They must not:

• create fake reviews;

• ask people who have not used their services to review them;

• offer payment for positive reviews;

• threaten homeowners over reviews;

• pressure homeowners to remove genuine negative reviews; or

• retaliate against a homeowner for leaving an honest review.

Professionals should respond to criticism professionally.

Reviews are governed by the Fixena Reviews Policy.

Professionals must use Fixena honestly.

They must not:

• create multiple accounts to manipulate the platform;

• manipulate matching or ranking;

• deliberately submit misleading job responses;

• circumvent Fixena fees or systems through dishonest means;

• use another professional’s profile

• attempt to access another user’s account; or

• exploit technical vulnerabilities.

Where Fixena introduces a Match Fee or other paid functionality, professionals must not deliberately circumvent the applicable fee through misleading use of the platform.

Professionals may encounter information that is private or commercially sensitive.

They should treat information obtained through Fixena as confidential unless:

• it is already publicly available;

• the homeowner has authorised disclosure; or

• disclosure is required by law.

This includes information about:

• the property;

• the homeowner;

• household circumstances;

• security arrangements;

• documents;

• access arrangements;

• pricing;

• communications; and

• other non-public information.

Fixena may offer different levels of professional verification.

These may include:

Email verified

Mobile verified

Business verified

Insurance verified

Qualification/registration verified

Identity verified

and, in future, higher trust indicators based on activity and history on Fixena.

Professionals must cooperate honestly with verification processes.

Providing false or misleading verification information may result in immediate suspension or removal.

Verification status may expire where the underlying information expires.

Professionals are responsible for keeping their information current.

Fixena may introduce a higher-level trust status based on a combination of:

• verified information;

• completed jobs;

• genuine reviews;

• platform history;

• good conduct;

• response history;

• qualifications;

• insurance; and

• other relevant factors.

A trust status is an indicator of information and activity available to Fixena.

It is not a guarantee or endorsement of future workmanship.

Fixena may remove or change a trust status where the underlying information changes or where a professional breaches these Standards.

Professionals should attempt to resolve genuine issues with homeowners professionally and constructively.

Professionals must not retaliate against a homeowner who raises a complaint.

Where a complaint is made through Fixena, professionals should cooperate reasonably with any investigation.

Fixena may request:

• photographs;

• invoices;

• correspondence;

• qualifications;

• insurance information;

• other relevant evidence.

This does not mean Fixena automatically determines liability for a dispute between a homeowner and professional.

Professionals should take particular care when working with homeowners who may be vulnerable.

They must not:

• exploit vulnerability;

• pressure a homeowner into unnecessary work;

• deliberately create fear to secure a job;

• take advantage of a homeowner’s lack of technical knowledge; or

• misrepresent an urgent need for work.

Professionals should recommend appropriate specialist assistance where a situation falls outside their expertise.

Professionals must not use homeowner contact information obtained through Fixena to send unsolicited marketing unrelated to the relevant service or job.

Any marketing must comply with applicable law.

Professionals must not add homeowners to marketing lists without an appropriate lawful basis or consent where required.

If Fixena believes a professional may have breached these Standards, we may investigate.

Depending on the circumstances, we may:

• request information;

• request supporting documents;

• temporarily restrict an account;

• remove or suspend verification;

• remove content;

• restrict access to jobs;

• suspend an account;

• remove a professional from Fixena; or

• take other appropriate action.

Serious breaches may result in immediate suspension while an investigation takes place.

Fixena verification is intended to provide useful information to homeowners.

It does not mean that:

• Fixena employs the professional;

• Fixena guarantees their work;

• Fixena guarantees their insurance will respond;

• Fixena guarantees their qualifications remain current;

• Fixena guarantees a particular price;

• Fixena guarantees a project will be completed successfully; or

• Fixena accepts responsibility for the professional’s work.

Homeowners should make their own assessment before engaging a professional.

Fixena may update these Standards as the platform develops, professional requirements change or new services are introduced.

Professionals will be expected to comply with the version applicable to their use of Fixena.

If you have questions about these Professional Standards or need to report professional conduct concerns:

Fixena Ltd Email: hello@fixena.co.uk